Industry has made increasing use of automated process gas chromatographs and the like as a means of monitoring the operations within a given chemical process unit. In many instances the sample for which analysis is desired is taken from a point in the process unit wherein the sample is of high temperature and pressure. Such samples are normally in the vapor phase and may contain high concentrations of a solvent or water which is immaterial to the desired analysis. Such components not only may have a deterious effect upon the column material and detector of the process gas chromatograph they may also make analysis by chromatographic methods inaccurate or impossible. They must therefore be removed prior to chromatographic analysis. Additionally, the sample may contain soot, particulate matter or the like which would damage a chromatograph. These too must be removed. In short, the sample to be analyzed must often be conditioned, that is cooled, dried and cleaned, before analysis may be performed.
Since a process gas chromatograph generally is an automated system, requiring little or no operator attendance, and is operated in the field, it must be of rugged and dependable design. So too, the sample conditioner, if it is not to defeat the aim of an automated process chromatograph, must be rugged and dependable and require little or no operator attendance.